Overuse of hand sanitizer could be harmful: Union Health Ministry
New Delhi : Since the outbreak of coronavirus across the world, we always have a hand sanitizer and a face mask handy in order to stay safe from getting infected with COVID-19. We require a good quality mask along with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to keep our hands clean. This virus spread through the contact with droplets from an infected person when they cough, sneeze or talk. This is why it is important to keep our hands clean and not touch our face especially our eyes, mouth or nose without cleaning our hands and that's why now we all carry a good hand sanitizer and keep cleaning our hands every now and then.
Using a hand sanitizer is not as necessary, just washing our hands with soap and water for up to 30 seconds also does the job well but we can't always have access to soap and water which is where hand sanitizer comes in. But these days there's also a lot of fear and panic which has led people to use hand sanitizers a lot more often than they should. Most of us are overusing hand sanitizers which can be dangerous for our skin. Using too much hand sanitizer can also kill the good bacteria on our skin along with the bad according to the microbiologists. As per dermatologists, excessive use of hand sanitizers can lead to hand eczema or hand dermatitis. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can lead to an imbalance in our skin's pH levels as well as take a toll on the barriers which in turn can allow the allergens to penetrate our skin and cause irritation. Hand dermatitis can lead to symptoms like inflammation in the skin of the hands, cracks, blisters, swelling and peeling skin. It can also cause a lot of pain.
Quite recently, the Union Health Ministry of India has also warned people against excessive use of hand sanitizers. This is why it is essential that we all reduce the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and try to wash our hands often instead. It's best to use a mild foam or soap for washing your hands. Try to use organic soap which has very few chemicals and reduces damage to your skin. Moisturise your hand regularly throughout the day. Soak your hands in warm water, towel dry and apply a moisturiser and then wear gloves before you hit the bed.
